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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · craft · pit · mate · branch · spell · suit · fine

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. branch — a division
  4. mate — to breed
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pit — a hole
  8. craft — boats
  9. press — a publisher
  10. spell — letters
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mate — a partner
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pit — in a race
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mate — a friend
  20. suit — to fit
  21. spell — magic
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com